Alexio – Tose Album Review

I waited a whole week from the first time I heard the album to say something about it because I wanted the full release to happen before I said a thing or two about this piece of art.

The first part of the three phases of its release happened on Wednesday 19 October at Crowne Plaza and it was a classy affair attended by a cross-section of society.

For those who have been following Alexio’s career the change of key is hardly a surprise. Since his move to performing with live instruments and the transition to being a vocalist to instrumentalist as well this has been coming.

For a full 24 hours after receiving the album I couldn’t listen to anything else. That is all I wanted to listen to.

In short, Tose signals the arrival of Alexio. This is the artist he has always wanted to be. That doesn’t mean he regrets where he has been but this is where he was trying to get to, from the moment he uttered his first note.

Alexio performing at the launch of Tose

Jairos Hambahamba, Tinashe Ndhlala and the legendary Clive ‘Mono’ Mukondo put their skills to what might be a Zimbabwean classic. For those stuck in the grooves movement this could easily be a seminal album from an artist who is turning into a genuine star.

The arrangement of the music is top-class, very deliberate and precise. His voice is delivered with little effort with a mastery that has been cultivated over the past 4 albums. The music is without doubt Zimbabwean. It can’t be mistaken for anything else. Even when there are influences from other countries they are brought home, brewed and served with that touch of familiarity that gives ownership to the Zimbabwean ideal. The idea of being all, together, as one, tose.